A research and development (R&D) project investigating the potential of Maritime CCS (carbon capture and storage) has culminated in the successful development of a concept design for on-board chemical CO2 capture.

The concept design consists of three principal parts; a chemical absorption plant that separates CO2 from flue gases; a liquefaction unit where the captured CO2 is compressed and condensed using a refrigerant; and two storage tanks where the liquid CO2 product is temporarily stored until discharge into transmission and storage infrastructures at the next suitable port.

According to a statement released by DNV, the results show that the concept is technically feasible and capable of reducing ship CO2 emissions by up to 65 percent. For a VLCC tanker, this could correspond to capturing more than 70,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, transforming them from emissions to a tradable product.

Dr. Nikolaos Kakalis, Head of DNV Research & Innovation Greece, said: “In response to more stringent environmental regulations and complex market conditions, we see an increased demand for innovative solutions towards higher efficiency and greener operations.

“Our R&D activities, such as the carbon capture initiative which is completely new in the field of maritime transportation, pave the future towards next-generation solutions for achieving more energy-efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable maritime transportation”.

"Challenging design"

Professor Costas Pantelides, Managing Director of PSE, said: “This has been a challenging design problem with tight constraints. Applying a model-based engineering approach has been key to exploring the process decision space rapidly and effectively, and developing technically feasible and economically viable solutions.”

Maritime CO2 emissions are estimated at over 1,000 million tonnes per year, or 3 percent of total emissions, and are expected to reach 2,000 to 3,000 million tonnes by 2050. DNV states that due to the concentration of ship emissions - unlike other forms of transport – the potential to capture CO2 at source has been the key focus of the project.

The Maritime CCS project was jointly financed by the two partners, the UK’s Technology Strategy Board and the Research Council of Norway under the EUROSTARS initiative. The project took into account the unique challenges posed by the maritime environment – constant movement, limited space and access to utilities, stringent safety requirements and the need for energy efficiency.